Tottenham Captain Cristian Romero Ruled Out for the Season

Tottenham Hotspur's captain, Cristian Romero, has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury. The defender was forced off the field in tears during Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, following a collision with Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky while attempting to defend the ball from Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey. Reports suggesting Romero will recover in time for the World Cup are reportedly inaccurate, and his club season is now over. Romero's injury is a significant blow to relegation-threatened Tottenham, who are currently in the bottom three and two points from safety with only six league games remaining. This is another injury issue for new Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi, who had expected to rely on Mohammed Kudus, only for the forward to suffer a fresh quad injury. De Zerbi will now have to do without Romero for the remainder of the season, having previously labelled him a 'crucial player' after the defeat at the Stadium of Light. When asked about Romero's injury, De Zerbi expressed his hope that it was not a significant problem, citing Romero's importance to the team. Kevin Danso is in line to replace Romero for the remainder of the season, having come on for him in the defeat at Sunderland. Romero is now facing a race to be fit in time for this summer's World Cup, where Argentina will be defending their title in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Argentina's opening game of the tournament is on June 17. The injury occurred as a result of a push by Brobbey, who was already on a yellow card, leading to questions over whether the striker should have been sent off. Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher stated that the incident should not be judged solely on the outcome, which was Romero's injury. Gallagher argued that if the goalkeeper had not been involved, the push would not have warranted a second yellow card. Former Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd added that Romero was not in control of the ball and was attempting to block Brobbey, who pushed him to one side to get a better view of the ball. Many of Tottenham's issues were apparent during De Zerbi's first game in charge, with the team's performance in defeat doing little to inspire confidence that they can climb out of the relegation zone. Appointing De Zerbi as one of the highest-paid head coaches in the division at this point in the season was a high-stakes gamble, but some argue that keeping Igor Tudor on would have been riskier still. Regardless of the manager, the same problems seem to persist for Tottenham. Sky Sports' Laura Hunter analyzed De Zerbi's first game in charge, while Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher expressed his belief that Tottenham are likely to be relegated, stating that they look like a team that is going to go down. Carragher questioned whether Tottenham could win away at Wolves, who are currently bottom of the league, and expressed his doubts about their ability to do so.